Housing segregation and scarcity have deep negative impacts on community health.

While this dynamic is not new, certain communities have always felt the strain more due to dated and exclusionary land use policies such as redlining, restrictive covenants, and urban renewal. As the pandemic exacerbates this problem, the need to desegregate communities and provide housing for everyone is more urgent.

This panel will unpack the region’s history of racist and segregated land use policies, examine their impacts today, and discuss ways to correct this historical injustice at the local, state, and federal levels. What do we need to do to increase housing opportunity, and what are the connections between housing scarcity and social vulnerabilities? How can we ensure that our communities recover from COVID in a more equitable way?

To kick off the session, NLIHC President & CEO Diane Yentel will be interviewed by RPA Board Member and former Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Henry Cisneros. They will explore strategies to close our country’s housing gap and increase affordable housing opportunities for low-income residents.